Stroke is a leading cause of lasting disability in humans and is the third leading cause of death among adults in the United States of America. Nearly 800,000 Americans are stricken by ischemic stroke each year. For this reason, the development of novel strategies for use in limiting the devastating outcomes of stroke is a key priority for the National Institutes of Health. Dietary changes represent potential, minimally invasive routes to reduce both the risk and negative outcomes of stroke. The aim of the current project is to examine the potential benefits and mechanism of action in the post-stroke brain of animals fed diets containing soy isoflavones and/or soy protein isolate. Understanding the mechanism(s) through which soy- based neuroprotection is achieved may aid in reducing life-altering outcomes for populations at risk of stroke since lifestyle changes - like adding more soy protein and/or soy isoflavones to one's diet - represent non-invasive strategies which can be adopted by those most at risk. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Occlusive stroke is a devastating event which often results in permanent loss of motor and cognitive function which can reduce quality of life measures in humans. The experiments in the current application will provide a better understanding of the benefits of diets containing soy isoflavones and/or soy protein isolate in the stroke-injured cerebral cortex. The results of these experiments will aid in developing strategies aimed at reducing the impact of strokes, and enhancing recovery from the lasting debilitations which often follow stroke in human patients.